The interplay between gender, crime, and criminal justice received
very little attention in the sociological and criminological
literatures prior to the 1980s. Women’s involvement in crime has
been historically overlooked in theory, research, and programming.
Indeed, one of the key points made by feminist theorists and gender
researchers studying crime is that females and gender have been
either neglected, or researchers have explained female behavior
using traditional theoretical approaches based on male behavior,
rather than considering the unique ways that gender may affect crime
and criminal justice experiences.

Since much of the information about crime and the criminal justice
system is presented in relation to men, a course focused on women
fills a tremendous gap in the criminal justice discourse. The goal
of this course it to provide a general understanding of what gender
is and how it impacts (1) criminal behavior, (2) victimization, (3)
treatment by the criminal justice system, and (4) experiences of
professionals in the legal/criminal justice system. Throughout this
course, we will focus on the development of important skills and
capacities. These skills include identifying and evaluation
arguments, comparing and applying theoretical approaches, analytical
thinking, developing and supporting arguments, and many others. Each
of the assignments will be oriented toward the development of these
skills. Exams will consist primarily of multiple choice and short
answer.